The Subverse
by Jamman
Summary: Later Romance. Raven is kidnapped by a mysterious cult, Starfire feels it is her fault for her capture and promises that she will find Raven. But who is this mysterious Shade? And what does he want from Raven? (RaeOc and slight RobStar)
1. A Creeping Shadow

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Chapter 1: A Creeping Shadow

Raven sat at the couch; one leg crossed over the other, her cloak held loosely around her, its hood hanging by her neck. She busied herself with reading 'the Raven' while Robin explained to Starfire how a fridge stayed cold as she interjected with cooing noises of wonder, "…and the motor generates the energy that…" Beastboy fought violently over the remote with Cyborg while the smell of leftover pizza wafted past her. Raven was starting to get annoyed, typical; she didn't know why she bothered staying with the Titans.

"Please be quiet, I am _trying_ to concentr-" Raven stopped in the middle of her complaint as she dropped the black, leather-bound book to the floor, her eyes widening as her breath got caught in her throat. Four baleful eyes stared back at her from the darkness, engulfing her vision; she clutched at the arm of the chair as fear coursed through her.

"Friend, tell us what is wrong," came Starfire's voice, a mere echo to her ears as her vision blurred, several shapes moved around her as she faded away.

Beastboy's voice rang out through the silence, "what just happened? She's freaked out on us before but she's never fainted like that", the four Titans stared at Raven's unconscious body sprawled over the couch, Cyborg lifted his arm as sensors ran an analysis of her.

"My system says she's fine, just blacked out", he turned to Robin with a questioning look, Robin was obviously thinking over what to do while Starfire's eyes gazed back at Raven with obvious concern.

"Take her to her room, she needs some rest, we all do," was Robin's final reply, Cyborg carefully lifted Raven in his arms and moved off towards her room. Beastboy stretched his arms and yawned loudly before wandering limply towards his door.

Starfire's main concern finally came from her bas Robin stepped away from her, "what if Raven does not wake?" Robin looked at her for a second before smiling.

"She will, if she doesn't, we'll get some help," Starfire nodded in response and they both left to go to their separate rooms, though Starfire wasn't truly convinced.

Raven lay in her bed, tossing slightly as clod sweat trickled down her head; a cup suddenly flew across her room and smashed against the wall. Raven awoke suddenly, jumping up and gasping breathlessly, her eyes wide in panic, she took a look around her room before sighing and slumping back to bed, and still not sure of what had happened.

She was awoken again by a strange sensation, as if she was slowly being lowered into icy water, as she looked across her bed, she saw her body disappearing from under it, she tossed the covers over to see arms coming from her bed and slowly pulling her down. Raven screamed loudly but soon had a thin, pale hand clasped tightly around her mouth, she tugged at it as her face disappeared slowly.

Starfire blasted the door apart, her hands and eyes glowing a bright emerald, casting light about the room as she looked to Raven's bed. All Starfire saw was Raven's hand sinking away, she flew across the room and grabbed it, and tugging against the force that dragged Raven under as best she could. A hand whipped out from the shadows and flung inch-long claws across her arm, she screamed in pain, tears streamed from her face as she crashed in the opposite corner, cracks scoring their way across the walls.

The boys entered to find Starfire whimpering in the corner as she clutched her bloody arm and Raven, gone.


	2. Voodoo Ritual

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Chapter 2: Voodoo Ritual

Raven's eyes flickered open as she woke, her body stretched across a cold stone floor, she lifted herself up, feeling her stiff body fighting against her movement, and rubbed her eyes tiredly before looking around. Her T-Com had been dismantled; several pieces lay strewn across the floor beside a melting candle, lying around her legs was a thin, coarse blanket. Looking about, she saw that she was in some form of cavern, stalactites dripped with moisture as stalagmites sat in clusters about the cavern floor.

"You're awake then…" Raven turned sharply to see where the voice came from, crouched near her was another figure. A black, high-collared long coat fell from his shoulders and around his thin frame before rolling across the floor, his pale, young face was hidden under long, black hair, he could've been no more than sixteen. He was flexing what seemed to be a clawed arm yet as Raven looked closer, she saw that he wore a pair of leather gauntlets, long claws came from the fingers and a long blade occupied the cuff of each one, both tapering over his shoulders.

He turned to her and Raven gasped as she stared into his eyes, they were an amber colour that illuminated his young, yet tired face, the taut irises held sharp pupils that bore into her very soul, a pair of cold flames burning through the darkness. He lifted his hand to the flickering light, something shone against the dull iron, and the figure answered her question before she voiced it, "blood, you have a good friend Raven".

Raven froze as she stared, wide-eyed at the blood, she had seen Starfire blast the door open, and it must've been her blood, "w-why do you-"

"Have you here?" Interjected the figure, "you'll find out soon…as will I. As for your next question, name's Shade"

Shade held out his clean hand to her yet she kept her hands back, thought it wasn't because of the cruel talon-like gauntlets he wore, Raven stood herself up, still ignoring her physical complaints as she kept her composure, "Okay…Shade, where are we?"

"Nightmare calls this place the Subverse, sounds like a sci-fi b-movie. You'll find out who Nightmare is by the way" Shade stood as he turned to face the wall, looking as if he was gazing through a window or at a painting. He was massive, his frame tall, thin and very lanky, his clothes were worn and ragged, giving her the impression of a scarecrow. But those eyes kept appearing in her mind, those eyes that read her soul and captured her emotions.

Raven and Shade's silent thoughts were interrupted by the tapping of small shoes against stone, she turned to see a young girl of about nine running through the cavern, she went straight past Raven, ignoring her as she came up to Shade, "cousin Shade, I made that doll you wanted." The girl lifted a doll to the candlelight; it was a patched doll that was obviously hand-made. Though the thing that shocked Raven was the small blue cloak that was worn over black fabric, a little belt of buttons lined its waist, and the small clump of violet hair that fell from its head, "see, it looks just like her!"

"That's great Voodoo!" Shade replied happily, though one look into his eyes told her that he wasn't happy, in fact, he seemed hurt and enraged by the doll before him. Voodoo though, was beaming happily from under curled midnight-blue hair, her short, tattered dress and torn socks made her very closely resemble the doll she held in her hand. As Raven turned to see Voodoo's face fully, she was shocked yet again by her eyes, these eyes were pitch black, though the shine in them told her they were still there and that she wasn't blind.

"Cousin Shade?" Came Voodoo's worried reply out of the silence, bringing Raven back to the harsh reality, Shade seemed to break from a similar trance as he looked down at her with those unusual eyes, smiling before ruffling her hair delicately with his claws.

He stood and tightened the gauntlets before twisting Voodoo around, "we'd better not keep him waiting, let's go…that means you Raven," he turned to her and jabbed his thumb, indicating for her to move.

"…And if I refuse?" Raven replied, if this kidnapper expected her to co-operate, he'd have to think again, and nobody ordered her around.

"Voodoo," Shade called, the girl turned with a sudden look of shock on her face, whatever Shade wanted, she didn't like, a silence held the Raven's breath as she watched, "…do it!"

The girl fumbled around one arm of her dress, producing a needle in her shaking fingers, as she held it, the needle glowed with a mysterious energy, and her shaking hand held the doll up before she plunged the needle into its hand. Instantly, Raven buckled over in pain, a light shone in a ring on her hand as she clutched it, feeling raw anger flow through her as she staggered to her feet, her eye twitching. Blood dripped from the doll's hand, the girl's black eyes were tearful and she ran through the cavern with the doll, away from Shade and Raven.

"Let's go," came Shade's hollow voice through the darkness, he gripped Raven's arm and tugged her up, dragging her through the shadows of the cavern.


	3. A Waking Nightmare

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Chapter 3: A Waking Nightmare

Raven felt too weak and tired to resist as Shade bound her hands and gagged her mouth, pushing her through to what resembled a conference table, six chairs were drawn out for them. A tan girl of about the same age as Shade, with icy-blue eyes and long silvery hair, already occupied one, her hands tucked neatly across her lap, hidden under the long sleeves of her white dress. "Shade," she acknowledged formally as she dipped her head to him, her eyes catching the gleam of blood across his claw, "you've been fighting again."

"Only to get this li'l treasure," he answered sarcastically, indicating Raven as he shoved her into a chair, binding her tightly and removing her gag, opposite the largest one, adorned with tongues of gold that flowed across its surface like serpents. He then placed himself next to this girl, to the right of the large chair, "because of her, Voodoo ran off, I'll have to find her later".

"It wasn't my fault! You're the foul bastard abusing her!" Raven yelled back at Shade, attempting to stand but only managing to pull feebly at the tight knots.

Shade seemed speechless at this remark; hurt seemed to play in his eyes but that soon disappeared as it was replaced by his cold, blank expression. The girl stared calmly at Raven, her eyes suddenly shining unnaturally, her hair flowing in a non-existent breeze, Raven suddenly felt her anger ebb away, to be replaced by sadness, sadness for the young girl.

Her thoughts were soon wiped clean away as two figures stepped through an entrance opposite, one was a darkly tanned boy of about fifteen, with short, bleached blond hair and stormy grey eyes, though his hands were pale and dead looking, as if skin had just been stretched across bone. The other seemed much more threatening, a dark figure, taller than Shade, his head of long, crimson quills contrasted sharply with his dark skin, as did his bloodshot eyes. His body rippled with taut muscle underneath black and crimson armour as he sat in the huge chair, staring back at Raven, the other sat beside her, stretching himself out before placing his feet on the table as he leaned back.

"What? No Voodoo today, pity, I wanted to have a little peek at her handiwork," came the bestial growl of the largest figure as he indicated the empty chair before kicking it out from underneath. The girl froze rigidly; Shade lounged about lazily, drawing swirling patterns across the table with his finger, "Empath! How do the preparations go".

The girl, obviously Empath, turned to the monstrous figure, nodded her head before speaking again, "all goes well master Nightmare, though I may need a few weeks to finish".

"You have one week Empath, as for you Shade, I can see your mission was successful, congratulations," Nightmare grinned darkly as he faced Raven, his eyes staring into hers. Suddenly, she saw the four eyes of her father flash before her, she began to breathe heavily as she held one hand to her chest, and "she is still susceptible to fear, that's good. Inferno, escort our, uh…guest, to her room".

The last figure stood and walked over to Raven, untying her before lifting her and pushing her along, "get your lazy arse moving! And don't try that psychic stuff on me 'cause it'll just leave you in a world of hurt," for the first time since she got here, Raven agreed.


	4. Sacred Pact

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Chapter 4: Sacred Pact

"Why are we still present! We should be searching for our friend Raven!" Rang out Starfire's voice as she paced angrily, a bandage wound tightly about her arm as Robin worked ceaselessly at the computer.

"Don't worry Star, I'm contacting a few friends to help us out," replied Robin, his eyes not shifting as he checked a map of Jump City that flickered to life on a great screen before him, looking for any signal from Raven's com-link.

"Why bother? We're the Teen Titans!" Shouted Beastboy as flew through the open window, shifting from his eagle form as he landed.

"This is the first time someone's infiltrated the Tower without a trace, and, the first time any one of us has been seriously injured." Cyborg answered as he pored over a security video of what had happened, Raven just seem to thrash about and sink into her bed, Starfire flew threw and was cut off as… An arm! Not Raven's, he brought a close-up image and stared at it, the arm was gloved, iron claws turned the wearer's fingers into cruel talons, a blade shone beside it, "Robin, you might wanna check this out…"

"What is it?" Robin answered, moving over to look at the image; Starfire floated behind him as Beastboy popped up by Cyborg's shoulder.

"You have cameras in our rooms? Eww!"

Robin ignored Beastboy's exclamation as he examined the picture, the hand seemed to come right through the bed, and the base of the arm seemed to be giving off a black energy. The same black energy surrounded Raven as her body sank under; a second hand was clamped tightly across her waist. Eventually, Starfire spoke what everyone else were thinking, her voice unusually quiet and distant; "what are we fighting against?"


	5. Sympathy & Empathy

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Chapter 5: Sympathy & Empathy

Nightmare yawned lazily as he lifted himself from his throne-like seat, stepping away from them as he walked out into the corridors, leaving Shade and Empath alone.

"Why didn't you just force her yourself?" Empath's voice suddenly rang out in the empty room; she stood before Shade as he leaned back on his chair. With a sigh, Empath kicked out the leg from under him.

Shade fell back only to spring out onto his feet as he looked back at her before turning to his left gauntlet, flexing his talons in a testing manner before started to unclip the cuffs holding the blade and claws to it. A scraping of metal and a dull clatter told Empath he'd dropped his weapon on the table, soon followed by a second as he unclasped his right hand one, leaving only his leather gauntlets strapped about his arms, he'd never take them off. "If Raven is physically damaged its my ass on the line, Voodoo doesn't cause any obvious damage, so I'm safe".

Empath smiled at his attempt to lie, even if he was so deceptive, she could see things about him no one else could, though even with her abilities, Shade was still a mystery to her. His connection to shadows ran deeper than the physical plane of their world, his very soul was engulfed in shadow, he'd unlocked areas of the mind hidden in darkness, he was, what many would call, a living shadow, though it wasn't him that held his dark reputation. "You should get some time on the surface to think, wear your shades and keep the claws off, we wouldn't want conflict between Raven's friend and your _other_ side…"

Shade looked up at her apprehensively before grinning and placing an arm at her shoulder before pulling off his trench coat and throwing it on the table, pulling some shades out to cover his strange eyes as he moved to the corridor. Stopping to look back at Empath, he added, "Make sure Inferno doesn't get under Raven's cloak…and tell Voo-"

"I shall get her to co-operate Shade, as a comrade you have my word…" She gave a formal nod before taking the passage Inferno had pulled Raven through to follow Shade's orders. Turning back as Shade left to give a small smile on her sly face before continuing on her path.


End file.
